Dolphins May Have To Look Forward to 2018
The Dolphins dropped their fourth game in a row when the Bucs broke away in the fourth quarter of today’s contest, which has James Walker of ESPN.com saying that the team will start have to turn their attention to 2018. While Walker does note that the coaches and players will say that they’re still in the wild card hunt, the reality is that the team is showing no signs of making a run during the remaining weeks of the regular season. It’s a sobering thought for second-year head coach Adam Gase, who led Miami to a playoff birth during his first season as the Dolphins leader.
In addition to the defeat, the team also lost starting quarterback Jay Cutler to a concussion during today’s game. Cutler has already missed time earlier in the season, but the Dolphins continue to have an identity problem at the position, according to Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald. Although Matt Moore was effective in relief of Cutler in Week 11, the team did not signal what they intend to do at the quarterback position a week from now.
Gase told Beasley after the game that, “I want to get to tomorrow first, see how [Cutler is] feeling.” These situations usually get more light shed on them as the practice week goes on, however the Dolphins find themselves stuck in an unassuming gray area of the league with two veteran signal callers that can’t be relied on to deliver in the future. Miami still has Ryan Tannehill signed to a long-term deal when he fully recovers from his season-ending knee injury, but he hasn’t truly grabbed the reigns of the franchise since the team took the quarterback in the first round back in 2012.
Jarvis Landry Eyeing $13MM AAV?
- The Dolphins‘ pass-catching corps may look quite different next season. While Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the team will have money to re-sign Jarvis Landry, the Dolphins are of the belief they can replace the slot receiver with a Day 2 draft pick. Landry is averaging 7.7 yards per reception, and that might not be worth a $16MM franchise tag for the team. Jackson reports Landry is expected to want a contract in the range of five years and $65MM — which would make him by far the NFL’s highest-paid slot receiver. Jackson writes no decision has been made on this front yet, and how this season finishes will influence the franchise’s thinking on this front.
- Miami wants Ndamukong Suh back for what will be his age-31 season but will likely approach the Pro Bowl defensive tackle about a restructure, Jackson notes. The Dolphins could create $12MM in 2018 cap space with a base salary-to-signing bonus conversion, thus putting more money on future caps, and lower Suh’s ’18 cap hit from $26.1MM to around $14MM.
- However, Jackson notes Julius Thomas probably won’t be back next season. The tight end has another season on his Jaguars-constructed (and Dolphins-restructured) deal, but Miami can save $6.6MM in cap space. The athletic pass-catcher who will turn 30 in June is on pace to play more than he did in either Jaguars season, having suited up for all nine Dolphins games thus far, but he has not been the same since leaving Denver.
Dolphins Waive Rey Maualuga
The Dolphins are planning to waive veteran middle linebacker Rey Maualuga after he was arrested in Florida overnight, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The team has since announced the move.
Multiple other media outlets are confirming the Dolphins are parting ways with Maualuga, and the arrest was for battery at a nightclub, Andy Slater of 940 WINZ reports (on Twitter). The 30-year-old is currently in jail.
This marks Maualuga’s second arrest during his career. The then-Bengals linebacker pleaded guilty on a drunken-driving charge in 2010.
The Dolphins are planning to fill Maualuga’s roster spot with running back De’Veon Smith, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports (on Twitter). Smith previously resided on Miami’s practice squad.
Maualuga made four starts for the Dolphins and played in six games since being signed over the summer. This continues a tumultuous year for Miami linebackers, one that included with Raekwon McMillan‘s season-ending injury and Lawrence Timmons‘ suspension to start the season.
A ninth-year vet, Maualuga made 23 tackles for the Dolphins this season. Mike Hull is the leading candidate to take over at middle linebacker, Salguero tweets. Pro Football Focus has not offered kind analyses regarding the play of Maualuga or Hull. The advanced metrics website graded both as suboptimal ‘backers this season, with Maualua playing 176 snaps and Hull taking part in 145. Hull started three games for the Fins this season; the third-year UDFA’s made 19 stops.
Grimes Left Hole in Dolphins Secondary
The Dolphins season has taken a dive in recent weeks. After starting the year 4-2, the team has lost control of the final AFC Wild Card spot, losing their past three games by a combined 67 points, thanks to blowout defeats at the hands of the Ravens and Panthers. However, while their reliance on Jay Cutler and midseason trade of Jay Ajayi have’t helped, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald opines that the secondary has been one of the major reasons why the Dolphins are not in position to be playoff contenders, particularly in regards to loss of Brent Grimes when the franchise opted to cut him before the 2016 season.
Beasley explains that the front office decided to move on from the veteran cornerback because his age, salary, 2015 performance and even his wife’s antics, but in hindsight the team misses Grimes’ steady contributions. The 34 year-old corner will face his former team for the first time since they let him walk this Sunday. Since his release, the Dolphins have failed to rectify the position with the likes of Byron Maxwell, Tony Lippett, Xavien Howard and Cordrea Tankersley. While Howard and Tankersley are still young, both aren’t guys you can lean on during a playoff run. In comparison, Grimes has played more like a middle of the pack corner this season , grading out as the 60th best corner in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Still, in Beasley’s opinion the way the team has handled their defensive back situation has been a dud all around over the past few years.
Dolphins Lamenting Matthews' Exit
The Dolphins have invested heavily at wide receiver in recent years, selecting Jarvis Landry in the 2014 second round and DeVante Parker in the 2015 first before authorizing a higher-end contract to re-sign Kenny Stills. But at least some within the organization are missing a former lower-level investment, with Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reporting (on Twitter) a common lament among the Dolphins is they wish they’d retained Rishard Matthews — a UFA in 2016. Now an integral component on the Titans, Matthews did not require much to sign. As players like Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Travis Benjamin required at least $6MM per year to sign in 2016, with Jones costing the Lions $8MM annually, Matthews signed a three-year, $15MM deal in Tennessee. (Stills signed for $8MM AAV in 2017.)
A 2012 seventh-round pick, Matthews easily established a new career high with 945 receiving yards last season and is on pace to top that this year, exiting Week 11 with 626. He averaged more than 15 yards per reception in his final year with the Dolphins and is sitting on 15.3 through 10 2017 Titans games. No Dolphin has 500 air yards this season. Stills has 408 through nine games, while Parker’s at 378.
Dolphins To Drop Ja'Wuan James?
- Jesse Davis has been doing a decent job at right tackle and that could alter Ja’Wuan James‘ future with the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) opines. If there’s no discernible difference between the two players, their salaries could be the tiebreaker. James, a 2014 first-round pick, is due $9.341MM through the fifth-year option, but the Dolphins can bail on that obligation before the start of the 2018 league year. It’s possible that James’ injury could be a season-ender, so he may have already played his final game for Miami.
Dolphins To Place RT Ja’Wuan James On IR
The Dolphins will be without a key member of their offensive line for the rest of the season. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the team has placed right tackle Ja’Wuan James on the injured reserve. Head coach Adam Gase told reporters yesterday that James could be shelved due to a hamstring injury. The Dolphins have activated safety T.J. McDonald off the reserve/suspended list to take his spot on the roster.
James, a 2014 first-round pick out of Tennessee, started all eight games this season. Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance in 2017, ranking him 10th among 78 eligible tackle candidates. The lineman has been a mainstay on the Dolphins over the past four years, having started all 16 games in 2014 and 2016 (he missed nine games in 2015 due to a toe injury). The Dolphins had picked up James’ fifth-year option back in May, which is only guaranteed for injury. In other words, the lineman would have to pass a physical if the team wanted out of the $9.341MM obligation.
With only around $1MM in cap space, the Dolphins will be hard pressed to add reinforcement via free agency. Jesse Davis, who previously started a pair of games at offensive guard, will fill in for James at right tackle. James will join Anthony Steen and Eric Smith on the injured reserve, although Ted Larsen is expected to return from his biceps injury.
Shortly after signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins, McDonald was suspended eight games by the NFL. Following an impressive preseason, the 26-year-old ultimately signed a four-year extension with the organization. McDonald started 16 games for the Rams last season, compiling 64 tackles and six passes defended. He’ll look to displace Reshad Jones or Michael Thomas atop the depth chart.
Ja’Wuan James Facing Season-Ending Injury?
Ja’Wuan James won’t play in the Dolphins’ Week 10 game against the Panthers on Monday night, and it’s possible the right tackle will miss the rest of the season.
Adam Gase said Friday (via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald) the fourth-year blocker could miss the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury. Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) said James is out indefinitely. Salguero notes the Dolphins are seeking out opinions from multiple doctors.
James has played in each of Miami’s eight games, and Gase described his play as being good in some of them. This injury is significant because of James’ contract status. The 2014 first-round pick has a fifth-year option of $9.341MM, but the Dolphins can cut bait on that amount before the start of the 2018 league year.
These options are guaranteed for injury only, so James would have to pass a physical for the team to jettison him free of charge. With that deadline nearly five months away, it would stand to reason James could recover from a hamstring malady by decision time.
Of course, the Dolphins don’t have a next-in-line right tackle to potentially replace James, and UFA solutions aren’t cheap. Dolphins OC Clyde Christensen said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) the cap has limited the Dolphins’ ability to bring in a reliable backup to James; Miami holds barely $1MM in cap room. Former UDFA Jesse Davis will make his first start at right tackle on Monday. Davis has started two games at guard but will move to take James’ spot after Ted Larsen returned off IR.
James started 16 games in both 2014 and ’16 but played in only seven in 2015. A toe injury ended James’ sophomore NFL season.
Dolphins Notes: Ajayi, Doughty
- The Jay Ajayi trade was puzzling to some within the Dolphins organization, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. One Dolphins person who in the locker room frequently said he never saw malcontent behavior from Ajayi.
- Practice squad quarterback Brandon Doughty was passed over for a promotion a couple of weeks ago when the Dolphins signed David Fales as a backup. But, the team made it up by giving him a raise from $7,200/week to $15,200/week, Jackson writes. “It was a good raise,” Doughty said, adding he appreciated it. “He put his money where his mouth is. He said he wanted a veteran backup with experience. At the end of the day, you want to be on the 53.” Doughty is in his second year with Miami.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/7/17
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Seahawks‘ practice squad: LB Joseph Jones
- Waived: LB Kevin Snyder
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Josh Keyes, T Tyler Marz
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Browns‘ practice squad: T Zach Sterup
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived from injured reserve: WR R.J. Shelton
New Orleans Saints
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Corey Fuller, T Martin Wallace
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Ed Stinson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Antone Exum
- Placed on injured reserve: T Garry Gilliam
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted to active roster: LB Josh Forrest
- Placed on injured reserve: FB Tre Madden